A Transparent Document

 I won't waste too many words commenting on the release of the Ford government's campaign document budget yesterday. A transparent and cynical document that attests to the Tory belief that there are many stupid people who cast ballots, it has something for everyone except the poor and the dispossessed (after all, they don't vote, do they?).

One doesn't have to be particularly politically astute to understand that the 'budget' is simply a massive election bribe, but those who seek further proof need look no further than Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy's own response to reporters' questions:

Bethlenfalvy, whose budget will not pass the house before the writ period begins Wednesday, repeatedly refused to say whether the Tories would reintroduce the same fiscal blueprint if re-elected.

“The people of Ontario will vote on this budget and it will be up to them if they want to pass this,” he said, declining to answer simple yes-or-no questions from reporters about tabling it again in the summer.

Perhaps the Ford government's perfidy is best reflected in this, from Theo Moudakis:

 

Let the games begin.

Election Augeries

The ancients, when they wanted to know the future, often examined the entrails of birds. It was believed such dissections could augur both good and bad fortune. In a famous scene in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, for example, the priests advised against their master going to the Capitol on the Ides of March because the bird that was sacrificed appeared to be without a heart, never a good sign. The rest, as they say, is history (and literature).

We have long abandoned such arcane and primitive rites, only to replace them with polls. As the date for Ontario's election draws near, expect renewed interest in polls to divine the political future of the contending parties. Indeed, today's Star bruits its election tracker called The Signal, from Vox Pop Labs. Without going into the details, which you can read about by clicking on the link, it claims to be more accurate than most, and has thus far done some early polling, each, of course, a snapshot of what people were thinking on any particular day.

If you are a supporter of Doug Ford and his Conservatives, you will be happy. If you are an Andrea Horvath or Steven Del Duca enthusiast, not so much. Were the election to be held today, the poll shows the Conservatives picking up 71 seats, the Liberals 28, and the NDP a mere 24, down from the 40 elected last time.

If the results turn out to be in any way accurate, one hopes that Andrea Horwath, who the party should have jettisoned a long time ago, sees the writing (or the picture) on the wall.

H/t Theo Moudakis

Theatre Of The Absurd

I'm feeling too burnt out these days to put thoughts to words, my ever-constant cynicism about people and politics reaching new levels. Therefore, allow me to post some editorial cartoons that help to capture the absurdity of what we call politics and life.

H/t Michael de Adder

H/t Graeme MacKay

H/t Patrick Corrigan

H/t Theo Moudakis

Memories, Dreams, Reflections

Apologies for appropriating the title of one of Carl Jung's works, but it just seems an appropriate label for this post.

I had a dream recently in which my daughter was just a young girl again going to elementary school. She was involved in some kind of basketball tournament, and my wife dispatched me there to find out what time it was likely to be over.

While sitting in the stands, I noticed a person behind me looking at his phone and getting quite agitated. A woman checked in on him, and she too became visibly upset. I asked what the problem was, and he said the venue was under a terrorist attack and the kids were being evacuated.

It turned out they were indeed evacuated, but there was no such attack. The aforementioned man had seen some kind of video simulating a terrorist operation and had taken it for real. I tried to reason with the other parents at the tournament, all in quite a state. I asked them if they had checked legitimate sources for verification, and if it was real, where were the police? 

They were unreceptive to what I had to say, so I angrily asked them, "Have you people no critical-thinking skills at all?"

The genesis of that dream was no mystery to me. Critical-thinking skills, or more precisely, the lack thereof, is a subject that has been weighing on me for quite some time. The fact that the June 2 Ontario election is fast-approaching has lately made that weight more acute.

With Doug Ford and his Conservatives currently leading in the polls, there is much to be concerned about. Egregiously evident are warning signs that a re-elected Tory majority will not be good for those who care more about the environmental, social and economic health of the province than they do about licence-sticker bribes and the like.

The following are two example of where we are head under Doug's 'stewardship.'

First there is the premier's insistence that the much-disputed Highway 413 go ahead. A boon to his developer friends, it bodes ecological disaster, especially vile given that viable alternatives exist, including better use of the tolled Highway 407. 

A Star editorial captures the essence of the incursion nicely:

It’s hard to believe the Ford government could find a way to make its proposal to build a 400-series highway across the northern part of the GTA, destroying farmland and parts of the Greenbelt along the way, any worse than it already is.

But it seems it’s managed to do exactly that.

Internal Ministry of Transportation documents reveal that at one of the most environmentally sensitive sections of the proposed Highway 413, the province ignored the advice of its own consultants.

It chose a route that avoids a planned subdivision development near Kleinburg. Instead, it chose a path that would cause what the consultants described as “maximum incursion” into the Greenbelt and destroy hundreds of hectares of conservation land.

By the way, this unnecessary road will cost between $6 and $10 billion.

The second example, as reported by the CBC, is the matter of adding up the cost of Ford's pre-election promises, with more likely to come in the late-April budget.  

With the start of Ontario's election campaign still two weeks away, Premier Doug Ford's government has announced more than $10 billion in spending, fee rebates and tax cuts since early March and could unveil even more in next week's provincial budget.

Ford and his ministers have rolled out the promises in a flurry of campaign-style announcements, many of them in ridings that are crucial to his Progressive Conservative Party's chances of winning a second straight majority in the June 2 election.

The promises total at least $10.9 billion, according to figures compiled by CBC News, based on information provided by the government in news releases and emails (The full list of financial commitments is in the chart at the end of this story.)

I won't include any further details here, as they are readily available by clicking on the above link. What especially bothers me here is that, to my knowledge, no one in the media is asking Ford how these promises will be paid for.

For those who believe that responsible citizenship is informed citizenship, the picture of what lies ahead is very troubling. For those who rely on social media for their information or make no effort to read at all, they are likely resting easy and having pleasant dreams.

To slightly paraphrase what I said at the beginning of this post, "Do people not have any critical-thinking skills at all?"

 

A Sign Of The Times

People in Ontario will recognize this as one of Doug Ford's election bribes and an acknowledgement of his good friends, the developers.

H/t Theo Moudakis

A Master Class

 

If you have been reading my blog lately, you will see that I have posted a few times about the ongoing bribery by Doug Ford in his efforts to secure a second majority come this June's election. Indeed, for the student of politics, Ford's government is a master class in political sleaze. 

Whether or not he finds success in buying people's votes, it is at least a bit comforting to know that others are not so easily swayed by his all-too-transparent efforts. The following letters attest to that fact: 

Doug Ford’s obvious desperation for victory is troubling | The Star

 With the volume of economic announcements being made by the Doug Ford provincial government, one gets the impression Premier Ford is desperate to win the next election.

The incumbent leaders can wield a lot of persuasive power to grease the rails for a victory. But winning at all costs is not in the democratic handbook.

We all know Donald Trump wanted to win too badly and was prepared to do so at all costs, such as doing so illegally and trashing his own reputation in the process. But here in Ontario, I have never seen a government in power deliver so many pre-election perks. For instance, the most foolish of all was the refund for past years’ licence sticker payments. Waiving future fees would have been enough.

The question is: does Doug Ford want to win the election too much? And why? He hasn’t shown any natural ability for the job of premier.

Greg Prince, Toronto

 Ontario vehicle owners will get rebates for licence plate renewal fees, Doug Ford says, Feb. 22

I can’t tell you how disgusted I was when I opened my letter from Service Ontario and it was a cheque for my licence rebate.

I’m sure there are people in Ontario who could use that money. But is this what we have been reduced to? Like a sheriff walking into a saloon and buying drinks for anyone who will vote for him. (Oh, that was last time with buck-a-beer.)

I hope Ontario voters are smarter than that. Vote for someone who will really help those who need it.

William McCulloch, Toronto

Freedom's Forgotten Partner

We hear a lot about freedom these days. There was, of course, the infamous freedom convoy that occupied Ottawa for three weeks and disrupted the supply chain at border crossings. There is the incessant cry from Conservative Party leadership hopeful Pierre Poilievre about wanting to make Canada the freest nation on earth.  There are those who, even now (see video at the end of this post), are prancing about demanding freedom from vaccine and mask mandates, even though such mandates have been virtually eliminated. 

All such demands focus on individual liberty. Kofi Hope, however, has a different perspective on what constitutes real freedom. 

...the problem is our public discourse is dominated by a singular, limited view of freedom. Focused on our individual civil rights such as: the right to vote or freedom of religion. Rights regarding an individual’s ability to receive fair and equal treatment under the law, and not have government or others restrict their ability to make their own decisions.

But a free society is about everyone having a real ability to make their own life choices. 

And therein lies the problem. Due to social and economic constraints, many are not and probably never will be truly free, because 

freedom includes making a living wage, so you can spend time with your kids every day, not be forced to hustle between survival jobs. Freedom is being able to afford housing, without having to sacrifice groceries to make rent. Or being able to access the therapy you need to escape the cage of depression and anxiety.

An expanded notion of freedom occurred in the last century, Hope writes, reflected in a number of ways.

Immediately after Americans achieved a degree of equality under the law with the Civil Rights Act in 1964, civil rights leaders shifted their focus to amplifying work around fighting poverty. They knew Black Americans would never be truly free without economic freedom.

A few years later in 1966 the United Nations drafted a covenant on economic, social and cultural rights, outlining the other rights needed to have a free society, like the right to health care, labour rights and a basic standard of living.

And in Canada in 1964 Emmett Hall drafted a report that laid the foundations for Medicare in Canada, arguing that universal public health care including dental, pharma, mental-health and home care were critical components to a free society.

Obviously, the above reflects something much more than a commitment to individual freedom of expression and choice. Although he doesn't use the word, it seems to me that undergirding Hope's ideas is the concept of responsibility, freedom's forgotten partner in today's elevation of the ego as the purest form of liberty.

Inevitably, that forgotten partner begs the question a question: What are the duties of responsible citizenship? Do we live only for the fulfillment of ourselves and our loved ones, or does it demand the pursuit of economic and social justice/freedom for our fellow citizens? If the answer is the latter, then we must partake in and choose wisely in elections at the very least, and advocate for and support measures that will bring about greater equity in our society. And yes, that includes fair, progressive and representative taxation to help achieve that state.

So we have choices and decisions to make. We need to be humble enough to realize that freedom is hardly the absolute that some people make it out to be, an example of the latter seen in this video, posted by Caryma Sa'd at Peterburgers, a notorious eatery in Peterborough, Ontario that just reopened. 

Is that the kind of 'freedom' we, as Canadians, really want to align ourselves with? Or is there something much more mature, reflective and committed that we should be devoting our energies to?

. 

 

The Most Dangerous Bribe

 

H/t Theo Moudakis

I wrote recently about the large-scale bribery that Doug Ford is engaging in during the run-up to Ontario's June 2 provincial election. Cheques in the mail, promises of gas-tax reductions, ending toll fees on some highways,  pending cheaper childcare - all measures to convince an often credulous public that his is an activist government concerned about making life more affordable for ordinary folks. 

While all of these 'giveaways' carry with them great potential harm to our economy, perhaps the biggest political bribe of them all goes much further, this time jeopardizing people's health, even their lives: the ending of all Covid-related mandates. Of those, the most injurious is clearly the termination of mask mandates almost everywhere, a massive gift to his base, and one that has given rise to a sixth wave here. 

Bruce Arthur writes:  

About a month after the province announced masking was no longer mandatory, Omicron is everywhere. With testing limited and hobbled, wastewater data shows there is more COVID in circulation than there was at the peak of the January Omicron wave. According to Dr. Peter Jüni, the scientific director of the province’s independent volunteer science table, Ontario is seeing an estimated 100,000 COVID infections per day right now, give or take. That number will continue to grow. 

As Arthur points out, the ending of the mandates was in essence a message to the public that they could relax their guard, that the government can handle anything untoward arising thanks to fictitious hospital and ICU space. If you have been to grocery stores or pharmacies of late (the only two public places I go to these days outside of the library), you will know by the number of maskless you encounter that Ford's message has been lustily received by many. 

Linda McQuaig has little but contempt for this tactic.

... the throng of anti-vaxxers, white supremacists and other assorted hate-mongers who held Ottawa hostage for three weeks are a key part of Doug Ford’s base, and he’s managed to quietly deliver them a victory while seemingly just lifting constraints because the COVID situation has improved.

Except that it hasn’t. And it’s absurd that the premier is trying to pass things off as fine when they’re not. Estimated infection levels are now almost equal to the Omicron peak in early January and hospitalizations across the province are up 40 per cent this week.

Ford insists that the province can “ramp up” to 3,000 ICU beds if needed. But all those beds won’t help without nurses to staff them, and the province has the lowest number of nurses per capita of any province in Canada.

None of these facts, however, are of any consequence to the base; all of us, however, will potentially pay the price for this pandering. For example, this morning we got a call from my brother-in-law who, despite being triple-vaxxed and religiously mask-wearing, has contracted Covid. Right now, it sounds like he has a very bad cold, but even if it does not progress beyond that, who is to say what his chances are of having to live with long Covid?

As I have written before, this entire pandemic has been been a sobering revelation of what we, as a species, are made of. While many have made great sacrifices, both personal and for the collective good, others in substantial numbers have shown themselves to be reactive rather than reflective, railing against any restrictions on their personal freedom, as if the latter were an absolute.

We are all the poorer for the Ford government's abandonment of its responsibilities to its citizens. Clearly, in an election year, politics trumps the public good.

 

The Big Gamble

 

Let me make it clear that I am not opposed to gambling. For those who can afford it, it apparently provides a measure of pleasure and a flush of excitement. It is not a world I relate to, but that is of no consequence.

What is of consequence is the number of people gambling who can neither afford it nor easily stop. Although the percentage of such people is small, it is nonetheless alarming that the opportunity to overindulge is becoming much easier. No longer does one have to make the trek to a casino. In essence, the casino is brought to you. Temptation is amplified. 

Of course, governments have long been involved in imposing what is often described as a tax on idiots. Think of the array of lotteries available for purchase at your nearest convenience store or Shoppers Drug Mart. (Oh, how many times have I waited in increasingly long queues at the checkout while some old parties ditheringly deliberate about what ticket(s) to purchase after winning $10 - the announcement "Winner! Gagnon! strikes fear and loathing in me.)

But I digress.

On April 4, what is euphemistically called iGaming Market went live. Now, those who are so inclined can gamble away their savings knowing they are protected from shady operators:

To play with confidence knowing their money and information is subject to robust consumer protection measures, players in Ontario just need to look for the iGO logo on an operator’s site.

Operators who have successfully been registered by the AGCO and have executed an Operating Agreement with iGO have met rigorous standards of game integrity, fairness, player protections, and social responsibility [?], enabling players to play with confidence.  

The apparent benevolence of Doug Ford's government in promoting this is undoubtedly welcome news to many. It is now easy to place a plethora of wagers on sports, play the slots, baccarat. etc. However, checking one site, BetMGM, I could find nothing that suggested the social responsibility cited above by iGO, and everything to induce you to become a member, including free credits!

Interesting, BetMGM is the entity being widely promoted by the 'great one', Wayne Gretzsky. 

Full disclosure: Gretzsky has been dead to me since his shameful, full-throated endorsement of Stephen Harper in 2015, despite the fact that the retired hockey player does not live in Canada and is not eligible to vote here. Indeed, it left many wondering about the number of concussions he had sustained during his career.

I can think of no other reason that he would stoop to shilling for the online betting group other than money. But doesn't he already have enough of that? 

I doubt that Walter Gretzsky, his late father, would approve of his son's promotion of such a dubious activity. Surely Wayne could find something worthwhile to trumpet rather than prostituting his name and reputation in this manner.

But, of course, this is all just my opinion, one of the advantages of operating a blog. Feel free to chime in with your own views anytime.

Forgiving And Forgetting?

                           

I read an article recently that posed the question of whether or not relationships can be repaired that were damaged or torn asunder over disagreements about Covid restrictions, mandates and vaccinations. In other words, once the pandemic is over or even now, when it is at least manageable, is it possible to forgive and forget?

One of the stories in the article discussed an ICU nurse on the frontlines of trying to save those who had fallen ill, only to be met by a reaction from her husband that has torn her marriage apart:

“He just invalidated everything I said. He tried to turn it around on me. Nothing I said mattered. I just felt like it was my job to convince him.”

Marie said her husband and his friends get most of their information from far-right sources, such as U.S. conspiracist site Infowars, Rebel News and Canadian anti-vax activist Chris Sky.

Things got progressively worse when the vaccine came out and Marie, as a health worker, was one of the first in her city to get a shot.

“All of a sudden, he told me I was only going to live for a couple more years.”

Clearly, such lunacy would be hard to live with. Even those trained to deal with afflicted people are having a hard time here. One such person is University of Toronto psychologist  Steve Joordens, who

has a close relative who is against COVID-19 vaccines and masks. Initially, he tried to talk to the person about it. But after a few difficult and heated conversations, he stopped.

“We cannot agree to disagree. So, we don’t talk,” he said, “which is tough.”

Further complicating things, this relative has power of attorney over Joordens’s mother, and decided that she would not be vaccinated.

“I had this real worry that Mom is going to die alone. That’s what horrified me,” he said. “That’s a hard thing for me to get over.”

Another psychologist,  Hilary Bersieker, suggests the difficulty lies in how we see those who challenged and flouted Covid protocols:

[G]etting vaccinated and following public health measures are caring and socially conscious things to do, whereas refusing the shot and flouting health rules might be selfish. The more such decisions are moralized, the harder they can be to get over...

That really is the crux of the matter for me. Although I have no friends or relatives who fall into the refusenik camp, if I had, I doubt that I would ever be able to truly forget what the crisis revealed about a side of their character/level of cognition previously unseen. In being so selfish and benighted, how could I ever really respect them or feel any affinity for them again? 

People who discount the science, content with fringe sites filled with fake information, have a lot invested in their stances, one that suggests ego triumphing over goodwill and community spirit. I leave you with the following Twitter video that exemplifies such individuals. The woman in it cravenly claims to be taking a principled stand.

Be sure to watch to the end.